Currently Untitled One Piece Story
by Sunflower Boy
Summary: While Luffy and his crew stop at Seaport Island to buy supplies, they end up meeting a bubbly, smart-mouthed young girl as well. Why is this girl so interested in Zoro? Warning, ZoroxOC. Post Kuro Arc, pre Baratie Arc. So what if she's sort of a Mary Sue?
1. Chapter 1

One Piece Story

**"If you're wrong, and I'm wrong… then that must mean I'm right, since we can't both be wrong… and you're too stupid to be right."**

It was in the early hours of the morning, and Luffy was the first one awake. Usopp had recently joined the crew, and he'd gotten to know him well. He was waiting for him to wake up so they could talk some more. He liked to hear his tall tales.

His dark brown eyes scanned the room where he, Usopp, and Zoro slept. Zoro was sleeping soundly, as usual. Luffy didn't understand how he could sleep so much in one day.

He heard a rustling, and looked over to Usopp.

"Morning." Usopp yawned.

"Morning Usopp." Luffy blinked blearily. Usopp stretched out, and stood up. Luffy rose too.

"Wanna hear a tale about "The Great Captain Usopp-sama?"", Usopp asked with a grin.

"Damn right I do!" Luffy laughed.

"Shut up, or I'll kick your asses." Zoro grumbled angrily. "I'm trying to sleep!"

"Ah!" Luffy cried, running up on deck, laughing. Usopp quickly followed. Luffy had leapt up onto the figurehead and sat facing the deck on the ram head.

"I love this ship! I declare this my seat." Luffy said solemnly. Usopp sat in front of him on the deck.

"So, where was I?" Usopp pondered.

"The Great Captain Usopp-sama." Luffy prompted.

"Right. So, here I was, whacking my way through a jungle, when, out of nowhere, a TIGER pounced out in front of me!" Usopp said importantly.

"Whoa, sugee!" Luffy gasped. "What did you do?"

"I'll tell you what I did! I yelled at that tiger, 'You'd better get lost, if you know what's best for you, Tiger-san!'."

"And then!?"

"And then, the tiger was so frightened, it squeaked, 'Nya!' like a baby kitten and scrambled away as fast as it could." Usopp shouted.

"Wow!" Luffy exclaimed.

Nami, rubbing her eyes, came out from her room.

"What the heck is going on out here? You guys woke me up." Nami frowned.

"Ah, sorry, Nami." Usopp apologized, dipping his head.

"Yeah, sorry!" Luffy echoed.

"Whatever, well, I'm up now." Nami sighed. She returned to her room, and came out holding her maps, a compass, and a pen. She sat down at the small table out on deck.

"And then, The "Great Captain Usopp-sama" met the wild men that inhabited the isle~"

"Ne, Captain. Where to next?" Nami called. Usopp frowned.

"Uhm… Somewhere we can go shopping." Luffy said.

"Wow, Luffy, that's actually a good idea." Nami said, surprised.

"Because we need MEAT!" Luffy declared. Nami sighed again.

"Never mind. Oh, there's a city near by here we can go to." Nami said. "Seaport (SHII POUTO) City."

"Sounds fine. When'll we get there?" Luffy asked impatiently.

"Probably this afternoon." Nami shrugged. "Unless the wind changes." Luffy made a face.

"Too slowwww." He complained.

One of the doors swung open, and Zoro appeared on deck, yawning and stretching.

"It's alive." Nami commented sarcastically.

"Shut up." He frowned at her.

"Someone's touchy." Nami frowned right back.

"Someone still hasn't forgiven you for shoving him down an oil slick." Zoro muttered.

"I already apologized!" Nami said. "What more do you want?"

"For you go to hell."

"Already there, Zoro. I've reserved my room." Nami winked.

"Meh." He went into the kitchen, and came out with a bottle of saké. They sat in silence for a moment, vaguely listening to Usopp's wanton rambling, and Luffy's cries of 'Sugee! Then what?!'.

"Where're we headed to?" Zoro asked her, obviously bored.

"Some place called Seaport City." Nami said, amused that he was talking to her again so quickly.

"A specific destination?"

"I chose it because it's close, and we need to get supplies~"

"AND MEAT!"

"Yes, Luffy, and meat." Nami sighed. Zoro snorted.

"When'll we get there?" He asked.

"Probably this afternoon, unless the wind picks up." Nami explained, annoyed at having to repeat herself.

"Ah." He turned around, finished with that conversation.

He yawned, and went to sit next to Usopp.

"Morning, Zoro." Usopp said cheerfully.

"Morning." Zoro yawned again.

"Hey Zoro! Usopp was telling a story!" Luffy grinned childishly.

"That's nice." Zoro answered, not really interested.

"Usopp, you met those wild men! Then what happened?!" Luffy exclaimed. Usopp cleared his throat, and continued his tale.

"Then, a man wearing a lion's pelt and a large feather headdress approached me. He appeared to be their chief. And then, after much failed attempts at conversation, I followed them to their village."

"Kakkoi! A village of savages!" Luffy said, stars in his eyes.

Zoro sighed. This would be a long morning.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A few hours had passed, and Zoro had heard about six or so of "The Great Captain Usopp-sama" stories until he finally fell asleep. 'Thank goodness for sleep', was his last conscious thought.

Luffy glanced over at Zoro. Sound asleep.

"Oi, Usopp!" Luffy whispered.

"Hm? What?"

"Zoro's asleep."

"Thank you, Captain of the Obvious. I had no idea." Usopp rolled his eyes.

"You got any paint?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah, but why would you want to…? OH!" Usopp gasped, and Luffy clamped his hand over his mouth.

"Shut up, you're too noisy!" Luffy whispered rather loudly.

"Baka! You're noisier than me!" Usopp hissed as he ran to get his paints.

Usopp had brought his bag, and took out a paintbrush and black paint.

"Moustache?" Usopp asked. Luffy shook his head.

"Thick brows?" He guessed again. Luffy shook his head again.

"Panda?" Usopp cautiously guessed. Luffy's brows shot up.

"Yes!" He laughed gleefully. "Gimme the brush!"

Usopp shook his head. "You paint like crap!" He reminded him.

"Fine. You do it!" Luffy sighed, exasperated.

Usopp quickly and artfully applied the black paint around Zoro's closed eyes, and painted his nose with a triangular shape.

"Done." Usopp declared. Luffy clapped his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing.

"He looks just like a panda!" Luffy hooted, as quietly as he could manage.

Usopp gathered his stuff and put it in his bag, as he and Luffy quickly ran over to the other side of the ship.

Nami looked up from her magazine to see what their giggling was about. Her eyes inspected the deck, until they rested on Zoro. She burst out laughing. Zoro stirred.

"Hn? What're you laughing at?" He squinted at her.

"Nothing." She said. "Panda-chan" She giggled under her breath.

She checked her map, the compass, the sun, then the skyline.

"We should be there soon. Half an hour at the most." She said.

"Good." Zoro replied. "If I have to hear another "Captain Usopp" story, I'm going to stab something. Preferably alive."

Nami snickered.

"What?"

"I can't take you seriously when you look like that! Go look in the mirror!" She cried, almost screaming with laughter. Zoro blinked, and walked to the small bathroom they had on board.

"DAMMIT LUFFY! USOPP!" Zoro yelled. "I'M GOING TO KILL BOTH OF YOU!"

The boys gasped in horror.

"RUN!" They both screamed.

Zoro unsheathed out his swords and darted after them, shouting obscenities and profanity.

"YOU GET BACK HERE, YOU IMMATURE BASTARDS!"

"Guys! I see the island!" Nami called. She pointed out to the skyline. A long lump of green contoured along the cobalt skies.

"All right! Now we can EAT!" Luffy crowed. All they had eaten before were sandwiches that Nami made.

"Luffy, is that all you think about?" Nami sighed.

"Well, it would be cool if we found a musician too." Luffy pondered.

"We don't need a musician!" Zoro said. "We need someone who can cook."

"What's wrong with my food!" Nami snapped.

"The fact that you make us pay for our meals. And they're crappy anyway!" Zoro said.

"WHAT?!" Nami raised her arm to hit him. Usopp grabbed her arm.

"Wh-what Zoro means, is, that we can't live off of sandwiches." Usopp said nervously.

"No, what Zoro means is, that woman can't cook shit." Zoro grumbled. Usopp glanced over to Zoro and back to Nami. He smiled weakly at Nami, and sweat-dropped.

"Zoro. Someday your inability to keep quiet will get the both of us killed, I just know it."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


	2. Chapter 2

The crew was wandering through town, when Nami abruptly stopped.

Everyone else turned around.

"What?" They queried.

"I think we should split up. I mean, Luffy wants meat, Usopp wants ammo, and Zoro probably just wants booze."

"Yup." Zoro agreed.

"So we can split up, and meet back here in an hour." Nami suggested.

"Sounds cool." Luffy said.

"I don't have a problem with it." Usopp said.

"Fine." Zoro shrugged.

"Okay, so we're off."

Luffy wandered around, looking for a butcher's. He poked his head in a store that smelled good.

"Irasshaimase!" The man called, laying out a fresh loaf of bread.

"Oh, a bakers!" Luffy said. "Can I have a loaf of bread, Pan-ossan?" (Pan- Bread, Ossan- Somewhat rude way to refer to an older man)

"Of course." The baker said.

"Thanks!" Luffy said, as he paid.

"Can you tell me where I can buy meat?" Luffy asked.

"Just down the street. Big sign that says "NIKU" at the front." (Niku- meat) The man said.

"Thanks ossan!" Luffy grinned.

"... You have a good day." The man said, eyeing him oddly. 'How could he miss that?' He thought.

"Hey, you too, Ossan!" Luffy dashed out of the bakery.

"Here I go to get MEAT!" Luffy shouted, tearing through the street.

Usopp strolled casually through town, looking for a weapon shop or a place that could possibly sell ammo.

"Hn. I wish this wasn't so difficult. This is a pretty big town." Usopp frowned. "I might get lost." He caught sight of a store that had guns and such in the window. "Seems like a good place to look."

He entered the store, and saw a tall, teenage boy, about Zoro's age at the counter. He had dark brown hair, chocolate brown eyes, and tan skin.

"Hello, welcome to Daidaiirokawa Artillery." The boy said dully. "I'm Takamaru. How can I help you?" The boy asked.

"Ah, Hi. I'm Usopp." He said. "Do you sell slingshot ammo?"

Takamaru pondered for a moment. "Let me check in the back. We haven't sold anything for slingshots in a long time." He said, disappearing through a door. A moment later, he returned, carrying three small boxes. "Here ya go. Six different brands."

Usopp grinned. "Thank you." He rummaged through the boxes, until he found three bags that were the right sizes and shapes.

"These will do." He said, and paid.

"Thanks for your business, is there anything else you need?" Takamaru asked. He seemed to have said these words a lot.

At that moment, a young woman bounded into the room.

"Aniki, where was I supposed to go to pick up those katana, ne?" The girl panted. Takamaru sighed.

"Well, an _hour_ ago, when Dad asked, you were _supposed_ to go to the Tanakawa family's house. He's gonna be mad that you haven't gone yet." He lectured. "…Why are you so sweaty and tired, Anzu?" Takamaru asked crossly.

"Uhm… because I.. uh… ran here as fast as I could! … ne?" Anzu shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, go get those orders, and don't hurt yourself. You're not supposed to strain your body. I don't want to be blamed if you do." Takamaru reminded her.

"Right, I know. Bye, aniki!" Anzu called, as she leapt gracefully from the room. Takamaru shook his head, and turned back to Usopp.

"Sorry about that, was there anything else you needed?" Takamaru asked.

"Uh, I could probably use some gunshot. Strong." Usopp said.

"Okay. Gunshot. Here you go, have a nice day." Takamaru said, handed him the shot, and bowed. Usopp bowed too. "Thank you, you too."

Anzu bounded across the street, leaping over misplaced boxes, kicking up dirt with each step. She skidded to a stop in front of a man walking his dog.

"Hai, Occhan! You can tell me where I can find the Tanakawa family's house, ne?"

"Oh? The Tanakawas live on the other road, end of the street. They have a Sakura tree behind their fence." The man said.

"Arigatou, Occhan!" She called after him, running faster than before. (Occhan- a somewhat childish way of saying Ossan, it means uncle)

When she reached the Tanakawa household, she stopped abruptly, and skidded to a halt. She went up to the front door, and knocked politely. A tall, balding man in his forties answered the door.

"Hello." He greeted her.

"Hai! You're Tanakawa-san, ne?" She asked.

"Yes. I'm Tanakawa." He answered.

"I'm Daidaiirokawa Anzu. I'm here to pick up the two katana you wanted to sell to the shop. I brought the money too. Ten thousand berii." She said, patting the pouch at her waist.

"Of course." The man said. "Let me get the swords."

"Right." She said. Tanakawa went back into his house, and Anzu waited patiently. The man returned, holding two katana, one wrapped in black, the other wrapped in gold. He handed her the katana, and she handed him the pouch. He quickly counted the money in it, and returned the empty pouch.

"Here you are, your swords and your pouch." Tanakawa said.

"Arigatou, Tanakawa-san." Anzu said, and bowed.

The door closed, and Anzu skipped down the steps, and bolted like a bullet down the path.

"Yosh, now I gotta return the katana to the shop." She said, patting the swords at her side. Suddenly, she crashed into a heavy, tall form, and bounced backward. Two dark emerald eyes looked down at her, unfazed.

"I- I'm sorry! I should w-watch where I'm going!" She stammered, clambering up. She bowed deeply and hastily.

The man looked amused.

"S'okay." The man said. He was fairly tall, powerfully built, and tanned. He was wearing a green haramaki sash and a white shirt, a black bandana tied on his arm, with black trousers and shiny black shoes. But his strangest feature was his short, bright green hair. He looked like he was around her brother Takamaru's age.

"You use katana?" The man asked.

"No! I uh, I don't use katana! Why would you think that anyway, how could you be able to tell, ne?" She laughed overly loud.

"Um… Because you're carrying two katana, so I assumed…"

She stopped laughing abruptly. "Oh." She hit her forehead. "I'm just delivering these." She explained, with another short laugh.

"Oh. Okay." The man said. Anzu blushed. He began to turn away.

"By the way, I'm Anzu." She offered. The man looked over his shoulder back at her.

"Zoro." He replied briefly.

"Hey! You have katana too! That one looks like a Meitou!" She gushed. (Meitou- A named blade.) Zoro nodded.

"…Yeah."

"Gosh, you have three, ne? Do you have a sword fetish or something?" She asked. Zoro veined visibly.

"No! I-…" He realized it might not be good to reveal that he was "Santouryuu" Roronoa Zoro. He wasn't exactly popular. "I like collecting weapons."

"Are you a murderer? A sensei? A self harmer?" Anzu asked, just to irk him.

"None of the above." He answered, raising his eyebrows at the last suggestion.

"Oh. You should swing by Daidaiirokawa Artillery. They could sharpen your swords or something. You could even buy a new one, ne?" She offered. She suddenly remembered something.

"Crap! I hafta go! Maybe I'll see you later, ne, Zoro-san?" She called as she dashed away.

"Yeah… sure." Zoro shrugged.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Nami was waiting as patiently as she could. She had been sitting at the bench they'd agreed to meet at for the past half an hour.

"First one to arrive gets their ass kicked for being late. Last one to arrive- gets killed." She muttered under her breath. She looked up to see Zoro looking back down at her.

"Who's getting their ass kicked?" He asked, slightly amused.

"You're first? I thought you'd be last." She said, shrugging.

"Didn't think so." He said and smirked. She whacked him upside his head.

"Bitch."

"Baka."

Usopp ran to meet them. Luffy was behind him, eating a piece of meat, with a slice of bread.

"Sorry we're late!" Usopp called. "This dummy wanted to go into every store, to see if they had meat."

"Yeah, I found lots!" Luffy grinned. Usopp shook his head.

'Did he even realize I called him dumb?'

"I found the ammo I needed. Did you find supplies for a good price?" Usopp asked Nami.

"Yes, actually. I saved a lot of money at this one store by that big fountain." Nami said.

"I went to a weapon shop, it had amazing stuff!" Usopp said. Zoro raised his eyebrows.

"What was this shop called?" He asked.

"Um… I think it was called Daidaiirokawa Artillery." Usopp said.

"Oh, I heard about it from this annoying girl I met. She had two katana. I think she was delivering them there. She told me I could get my katana sharpened there." Zoro said.

"Oh, was she short, with long brown hair and sort of… _twinkly _green eyes?" Usopp asked.

"Sure, I guess. You met her?"

"Yeah. Her brother runs the store. His name was… Takamaru." Usopp said.

"Oh, okay. She was almost as upbeat as this guy." Zoro shook his head, jerking his thumb over at Luffy, who was pacing impatiently.  
"I want to check out this weapon shop." Nami said. "Might find some good upgrades for my staff."  
"Why do you guys need weapons anyhow?" Luffy snorted.  
"Because we can't stretch like rubber." Zoro reminded him.  
"Oh yeah!"  
"So, Usopp, where was this shop?"

After about ten minutes of trying to keep Luffy from wandering off, the crew finally entered the large weapon shop. "Welcome to Daidaiirokawa Artillery~ Oh, hey Usopp-san! Are these your friends?" Takamaru asked.  
"Yeah, these are my comrades." Usopp said.  
"Nice to meet you all. I'm Daidaiirokawa Takamaru." Takamaru grinned.  
"Hi! I'm Monkey D. Luffy, that guy frowning over there is Zoro, the girl is Nami, and I guess you already know Usopp." Luffy introduced everyone. Zoro made an effort to remain expressionless.  
"I'm _not_ frowning."

"Zoro-san!" A higher voice called. Everyone turned. Takamaru raised his eyebrows.  
"You know him?" Takamaru asked.  
"Yeah! I met Zoro-san when I was on my delivery run." Anzu said. Nami glanced over at Zoro, who just nodded.  
"Do you all have a place to stay?" Takamaru asked.  
"Well, we were planning on sleeping on our ship." Nami said.  
"Oh, I'm sure it would be fine with our parents if we had a few guests." Takamaru offered, waving his hand.  
"Yeah! Like a sleepover! You can stay in my room, Kirei-Onee-san!" Anzu said excitedly to Nami. (Kirei- Pretty, Onee-san- a polite way of addressing a young woman that is older than you) Nami blushed.  
"If it wouldn't be troublesome." She said.  
"No trouble at all, our house is more than adequate of keeping a lot of guests." Takamaru said.  
"Sounds great!" Luffy said.  
"You'll be staying for dinner, of course." Anzu said.  
"Woo-hoo!" Luffy grinned. Zoro hit his forehead.

"Now we turn this corner, and down the street is our house. With all the flowers and sakura in front." Anzu said and pointed. The house was rather large, white, with large windows, and looked very cheery.  
"Wow, you live here? It's such a nice house." Nami said.  
"Yeah, it's big inside." Anzu said. "It's painted in nice, bright warm colors."

They entered the house.

"Welcome, Takamaru-sama, Anzu-sama. And esteemed guests." An older man greeted them. "Should I inform your esteemed parents?"

'I don't like this guy.' Zoro thought. Takamaru and Anzu shook their heads.

"We'll introduce our new friends ourselves." Anzu said. The butler bowed and exited.  
"Anzu, would you take Nami-san to your room so she can set out her stuff. And also, because there's a guest room close to your room, take Zoro-san too." Takamaru instructed her.  
"Hai, Taka-nii!" She mock saluted. "Come on, Zoro-san, Nami-nee-san, ne!" She dashed ahead.  
"Luffy-san, Usopp-san, your rooms are down this hall." Takamaru said, steering them in the opposite direction.

"All right." Usopp said. He walked faster, and caught up to Takamaru. "How old are you and Anzu-san?" He asked.

"Hn? Well, I'm twenty, and Anzu's eighteen. We have… a couple of other siblings too. But they're all adopted, except for our younger brother Perapera. He's six. He's staying with our Grandparents right now." He said.

"Wow, how many brothers and sisters do you have?" Usopp asked.

"Well, we have six other brothers, and one other younger sister. The boys are Akai, Aoi, Orenji, Midori, Murasaki, and Kimaru. Our sister's name is Tori." Takamaru said. He stopped in front of a door.

"Usopp-san, this'll be your room." He said, gesturing towards the door.

"Thank you." Usopp said, bowing, and went through the door. Takamaru continued along, Luffy close behind. They continued along in silence, but Takamaru found this a little unnerving.

"Nice hat." Takamaru complemented him, to fill the empty silence.

"Thanks. It's special."

"Really? How so?"

"I got it from a friend of mine. He wants it back someday, so I'm keeping it safe for him." Luffy explained.

"Oh, so if it got ripped or anything, you'd be really pissed?" Takamaru asked.

"Yeah." Luffy nodded.

"So, your hat is to you, like my sword is to me?" Takamaru mused aloud.

"How would I know?" Luffy said. "I don't know how you feel." Takamaru blinked.

"Oh, sorry, I was thinking out loud." He said quickly.

"Oh. You're weird." Luffy said, and Takamaru fell over.

"You don't have to be so blunt!"

Anzu led Zoro and Nami through the brightly lit, warm gold painted hallway.

She turned to them.

"Ne, Zoro-san, Nami-nee-san, how old are all you guys?"

Nami thought for a second, as they continued walking.

"Well, I'm eighteen…~"

"Me too!" Anzu grinned.

"Oh, cool! I know that Luffy is seventeen, because he told me. And I'm going to assume that Usopp is the same age. How old are you, Zoro?" Nami asked, turning toward the green haired swordsman.

"I'm nineteen years old." Zoro answered. Anzu looked puzzled.

"Wow. I was pretty much head on with my guesses, though I kinda thought Zoro-san was a bit older." She said. "Nifty!"

Zoro and Nami blinked.

"Nifty?" They said together. She laughed.

"You can't say it at all! Nyaha! It means cool, or awesome. I like using different words." She said. She stopped in front of a door.

"Zoro-san, this will be your room. It actually has a rack where you can put your katana. We have a lot of swordsmen as guests, because of Father's trade." She explained.

"As a weapon crafter?" Zoro asked.

"Well, yes. But more specifically, as a weapon crafter for the Marines."


	3. Chapter 3

Nami's jaw dropped. Zoro blinked.

"Your father… Works for the Navy?" He stuttered, surprised.

"Heh. Yeah. He wants Takamaru to be a marine too, someday. Takamaru-nii doesn't want to, though. Don't tell, but he wants to be a pirate! Secretly, that's what I want too." Anzu said. Nami smiled.

"Pirates aren't so bad. Once you realize where they're coming from." Nami said slowly.

"Pirates… Some are good, while some are bad. It depends on their ambition," Zoro mused. "Is it worth it? Are they even decent?"

"I want to be a pirate, to test my strength." Anzu said fiercely, eyes sparkling confidently.

"To test your sword skill?" Zoro asked. Anzu's jade eyes widened.

"S-sword skill? Ha-ha! What are you talking about?!" She laughed too loudly again.

"Give it up. I know that you can wield a sword." Zoro smirked. She sighed.

"How did you guess?" She asked. "Is it obvious?" He shook his head.

"Not obvious to the average person. But I can tell by the way you walk, they way you move, and the way you were holding those swords earlier when you were running. All traits of a swordsman. You don't hold them too tight as to hurt your hand, but not so loose that they would fly out of your hand either. I could tell when you fell, the swords didn't slip at all, and you didn't wince or anything." Zoro explained. She nodded.

"Yes. I use swords." She admitted. "I'm pretty decent too, I guess. I don't have a sensei, though. I learn from observing my father's and Takamaru's skirmishes. My father trains him." She said quietly.

"Could I fight you?" Zoro asked. Anzu looked surprised.

"Ne? Me? I- I'm not very good." She blushed. He nodded.

"Do you have swords?" He asked her. She shook her head.

"Not that I can use… But I have shinai (bamboo practice swords) that I nicked from the dojo near here." She said.

"How many?" He asked.

"Six." She said, and dipped her head. "In case any break." Nami laughed.

"You little crook! I like you!" She exclaimed with a grin. Anzu beamed back.

"Want to fight at the dojo?" Anzu asked. Zoro nodded firmly.

"Okay! Nami-nee-san, go settle into my room, it's the last door down the hall on the left. I'll go get Luffy-san and Usopp-san, so they can watch too." She said.

"What about your brother?" Nami asked.

"He doesn't need to know." Anzu said distractedly as she darted out of the room.

Later, at the dojo, Anzu and the Straw Hats were gathered outside.

"Let me get this straight. You fight with swords, even though Takamaru said, 'You're not supposed to strain your body.' Why is that anyway?" Usopp grumbled.

"Pardon me for being rude Usopp-san, but please shut up." Anzu said sweetly.

"Eh?!"

"So, Zoro-san. How is this fight gonna work?" Anzu inquired. "Shinai… You can't really fight to the death." Everyone but Zoro blinked.

"To the death?!" They murmured, puzzled. Zoro shifted.

"I was thinking… The first person to be hit in the throat. It's a vital area. So, like a mock-up." Zoro shrugged.

"Sounds good to me." Anzu agreed. They all entered the building.

"It's after hours, so no one else is here. We won't be disturbing anyone." Anzu said.

"What do you practice?" Zoro asked her.

"Nitouryuu." Anzu said. "And you?"

"Santouryuu." He said. He expected her to gasp or something. Instead, she smirked.

"I knew it!" She cried triumphantly. "You're "Santouryuu no Roronoa Zoro"! I could tell, because not that many people have green hair!" Zoro veined.

"What's wrong with green hair!!!" He growled. She laughed.

"I think it's cute, Lettuce-chan!" She giggled. He turned red.

"I'm gonna freaking kill you…" He muttered. Anzu looked serious.

"Let's start."

Zoro and Anzu strode to the middle of the dojo. They bowed to each other.

"Ikuzo!" Anzu cried. They both ran at each other, Zoro lashed out with the first hit. Anzu quickly twirled out of the way.

"I thought we were fighting, not dancing." Zoro said, muffled with the sword in his mouth.

"Shall we dance, Lettuce-chan?" She taunted. She struck out, and Zoro quickly blocked. For the next minute or so, they were just quickly lashing out attacks, and blocking, insults and taunts streaming out faster than the attacks.

"Is this too much for you, little girl?"

"If it were too much, I would just end it already. I enjoy playing with you, Zoro-san." She grinned, panting.

"Don't strain yourself, Anzu-san!" Usopp shouted. She completely ignored him, and whisked out again. Faster than any of the other Straw Hat pirates could follow, she was dealing out quick, short blasts of slashes, and just as fast, Zoro was redirecting them.

"I AM going to win!" She roared, panting harder than ever. She staggered forward, and leapt frontward with a quick thrust. Zoro calmly stepped out of the way. She stopped.

"I see what he's going to do if I continue like this." Anzu thought. She paused, to strategize.

"Giving up?" Zoro asked with a smirk. She growled.

"Not a chance. I'm fighting this through!" She said determinedly. Her breath was coming in short bursts, now, and her face and body shone with sweat. Suddenly, without warning, she sprang across the floor, and swung full force at Zoro, hitting him square in the jaw. The shinai in his mouth clattered to the floor, and he staggered backwards, rubbing his mouth gingerly with the back of his hand.

"Ah, gomen. Didn't mean to hit you so hard." Anzu apologized, grinning a bit. Her chest was heaving. "Close, but no cigar. Definitely not the throat. I knew I wouldn't hit your throat, so I swung as hard as I could."

Zoro shook his head. "You're pretty strong." He admitted. His eyes glinted. "But that doesn't mean this fight is over!" He sprinted towards Anzu, swords raised slightly. He curled his arm backwards, and swung his sword down hard, aimed directly at Anzu's neck. Anzu winced, waiting for the pain, the defeat, to come. Instead, she felt a slight tap. She opened her eyes. Zoro grinned at her.

"I win." He smirked. She sighed.

"Didn't think I'd win, anyhow." Anzu shrugged. She grinned too. "At least I'll be able to tell my children that I fought Roronoa Zoro." She laughed.

Zoro laughed too, for the first time in which she'd met him. She liked how it sounded.

She thought for a moment, then asked.

"When did you start sailing again?" She asked. He looked a little surprised by the question.

"Huh?" His eyebrows raised. She sighed.

"I thought you were in jail."

"Oh. Luffy let me out." He said simply. She gasped.

"Ohhh… Luffy-san! You're a criminal…" She moaned softly. "Not that that wasn't the right thing to do." She added quickly.

"Zoro, you were in jail?!" Usopp asked.

"Yeah. It's a long story." Zoro shrugged. Luffy laughed.

"Hehehe, that was lots of fun!" Luffy grinned widely.

"Luffy sure put us each through hell, didn't he Zoro?" Nami laughed.

"Heh, got that right." Zoro laughed with her.

"Oiiii, you don't regret it, do you?!" Luffy whined.

"'Course not, Cap'n." Zoro said.

"Captain?" Anzu blinked. "Are… Are you guys pirates?!" Anzu asked.

"Oh-oh." Usopp whistled.

"Not oh-oh." Nami whispered to him.

"Yup. We're pirates." Luffy nodded. She laughed.

"That's awesome!" She gushed.

"Glad ya think so! For some reason, people don't like pirates…" Luffy said, confused.

"Gotta wonder why. It's not like we steal, kill people, or break laws. Oh, wait." Nami muttered sarcastically.

"We don't kill people!" Luffy argued.

"Why not?" Zoro asked. Luffy frowned.

"Only kidding." He added quickly. 'And the other things don't matter?' Nami muttered.

Anzu stretched, and picked up her small hip pouch. "I'm going to go wash up and change my clothes so we can go home, ne? It's almost dinner." She said, walked toward a door at the back of the room.

"Great! I'm starved!" Luffy moaned. Nami hit him.

"Stupid, don't be so loud and rude."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The sun was starting to set when they arrived back at Anzu's house, and when they walked through the door, Takamaru ambushed them.

"Anzu! Where have you been? And why are you so tired?" Taka frowned. Anzu shifted awkwardly.

"Ano… I was just showing them around… then Luffy-kun and I had a race." Anzu lied. "Luffy-kun won, ne?" She grinned. Luffy blinked, and Nami nudged him.

"Oh, yeah. I creamed her." Luffy grinned. Takamaru shook his head.

"Don't. Over. Strain. Yourself." He said, prodding her forehead with each word. "Come on, it's time to eat." He turned and escorted them down the hall.

They were all seated at a rather large table, with several dishes and bowls laid out.

Seated around the table with them was a tall older man, a pretty middle-aged woman, six young boys, and a small, quiet girl.

"So… You are Takamaru and Anzu's friends?" Their father asked. They all nodded.

"We're very happy to have met your daughter and son, sir." Nami smiled warmly.

"Yes. And it's my wife and mine's pleasure to meet all of you as well." The man said, though it didn't quite sound that way. Luffy was just chewing, rather politely for him. Zoro was surprised when he swallowed before he said,

"Mister, this food is really great!"

Their Father nodded.

"Yes, well, our cook is very skilled." He said somewhat proudly. Nami laughed affably.

"Daidaiirokawa-san, you have a very lovely home."

"Ah, yes, thank you. Might I ask all of your names?" Daidaiirokawa asked.

"Oh, well I'm Nami, he is Luffy, that is Usopp, and that is Zoro." Nami smiled pointing with each introduction, respectively.

"And have you all a place to stay?" Daidaiirokawa asked.

"Well, Anzu-san and Takamaru-san invited us to spend the night." Usopp replied.

"Is that so? Well, then I hope you enjoy your stay with my family." Daidaiirokawa laughed heartily. Zoro felt that Daidaiirokawa wasn't as bad as he seemed.

After supper, Mr. and Mrs. Daidaiirokawa invited the crew into their large family room so they could all get acquainted. Some boys gathered around Luffy, bombarding him with questions.

"Where are you from, Strawhat-niichan?" One boy with wild black hair asked.

"And why are you traveling with so many friends?" Another boy with tousled red hair asked.

"Why are you wearing a straw hat?" The smallest boy with purple eyes asked.

"Ahahaha, you kids are fun." Luffy laughed. Anzu grinned. Several other boys sat around Zoro, talking to him.

"You have green hair." One kid with sapphire eyes said.

"I had no idea." Was Zoro's response.

"Why is it green?" Another kid with blond hair asked.

"Because it is." Zoro grumbled.

"Why do you wear a haramaki sash like an old man?" The last boy with olive green eyes asked. Anzu hooted loudly, and Nami covered her snicker with her hand.

"Look here, kid! The haramaki is a powerful, heart-stopping outfit, and is also high fashion, tight fitting combat wear, and don't you forget it! Dismissed!"

Anzu blinked. "Touchy, isn't he?"

"Tell me about it. But… That little outburst was awfully out of character for him." Nami said.

A quiet little girl, no older than five sat farthest from the group. She had wispy lavender hair, and soft celadon green eyes. She seemed almost afraid of Zoro and Luffy. Usopp spotted this and approached her.

"Hi there. You must be Tori." Usopp smiled kindly at her. She covered her face with her hands, and he heard a small, 'Yes'.

"She's kinda shy." Anzu said and laughed softly. "Tori-chan, you can talk to Usopp-san, he's very nice." Tori only nodded.

"D'you wanna hear a story?" Usopp asked with a humorously flamboyant air. Tori slowly took her hands away from her face, giggled at Usopp's funny face, and nodded.

"Once upon a time, there was a hero like none other- The Great Captain Usopp-sama!" He cried. The other kids looked up at Usopp, and gathered around him. Usopp grinned.

"The Great Captain Usopp-sama was exploring the vast depths of the sea, when he encountered a SHARK!" Usopp shouted the word 'shark' to make it more effective. Tori hid her face again.

"Sugeee! A shark? Really, Usopp?" Luffy gasped. Nami shook her head.

"I think I'm beginning to see a pattern in his stories." Nami muttered.

"- And then he came upon an undersea village of MERPEOPLE!" Usopp declared.

"Yup. Definitely a pattern." Zoro agreed.

"Sugeee, merpeople!" Luffy clapped his hands over his face.

"Yes! And there was a BIG Merman with a HUUUGE trident, who was their leader. The Great Captain Usopp-sama gathered with the merpeople, and they celebrated Captain Usopp's brave defeat of the terrible shark." Usopp said, bearing his hands like claws.

"S-sugoi!" It was Tori this time who whispered in awe. Usopp smiled at her.

"The bravest Pirate Captain of all time- Captain Usopp-sama!" Usopp crowed.

Daidaiirokawa stood up.

"Pirate Captain Usopp, eh Usopp-kun?" He growled gruffly.

"Ehhh! It's only a Pirate Tale, sir." Usopp said quickly.

"Well, I don't approve of Pirate 'tales' in this household, if you'd be considerate of that, then I would appreciate it very much." Daidaiirokawa said firmly.

"Right sir, no more Pirate Tales." Usopp dipped his head.

"Children, it's time for bed!" Mrs. Daidaiirokawa clapped her hands.

"Awww, but Mommaaaa!" The children whined.

"Come along, now. You have to get a good night's sleep. You're only children!" Mrs. Daidaiirokawa said.

"Okay." They sighed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey guys, wanna have some fun?" Anzu smirked. Luffy beamed.

"Yeah! What're we gonna do?"

"Go around town. There are a couple of spots you guys should see." Anzu smiled playfully. Nami clapped her hands.

"Is there a shopping district?" Nami asked.

"Yup. Thrivin' at this hour." Anzu winked.

"There a bar?" Zoro asked. Nami rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, I've never been there, but I've heard it's a cool place."

"Sounds fun!" Usopp grinned.

"Hang on. You guys stay here while I go get permission from Papa. I'll just say we're seeing the sights. Being vague isn't lying." She laughed as she ran off.

"Papa!" Anzu dashed up to her father.

"Hm? Yes, Anzu-chan?" Her father blinked.

"Would it be all right if I showed everyone around town?" Anzu asked.

"Absolutely not! It's almost dark, and not safe!" He bristled.

"But Papa! Zoro-san, Luffy-san and Usopp-san could protect me and Nami-san! It's completely safe!" Anzu pointed out.

"I don't trust them enough to protect you!" He said, forehead crinkling.

"Papa, Zoro-san is a more than capable swordsman." Anzu frowned.

"There's just something I don't like about him. He seems familiar." Daidaiirokawa said.

"Please! Just trust him..." Anzu dipped her head. "Trust me." 'Secret Technique- Art of the Puppy Dog Eyes!' She thought jokingly. Her fathers sharp gaze softened when he saw her eyes glisten sadly.

"All… All right. Because it is about time I allow you to make your own decisions." Her father said. "Make sure I don't regret this."

"Hai, Papa! Arigatou!!!" She twirled over to her new friends.

"Guys, come on, he says it's O.K.!" Anzu joyfully sang.

"Great, should we get Takamaru-kun?" Nami asked.

"No no no! Nii-chan's no fun!" Anzu frowned. "He wouldn't approve of me going into a bar." She laughed.

"You're going with Zoro?" Luffy asked.

"Yeah. I figured, why not? I'm not going to have any alcohol, but I want to see what a tavern's like." Anzu gave Nami a silly little grin.

"So let's go!" Anzu dashed out the door, the group quickly trailing behind her.

"Race ya!" Luffy shouted.

"You're on, Luffy-kun!" Anzu giggled as she tried to keep up.


	4. Chapter 4

The crew strolled through the streets as Anzu pointed out the different spots.

"…And that's our most popular boutique here- Sunset Cape. The stuff's pretty expensive, but I have a couple of shirts and shorts from there." Anzu said. Nami's eyes lit up.

"Are the clothes stylish?" She asked Anzu eagerly.

"Yeah, they're pretty cute." Anzu shrugged. The words had barely come out of her mouth when Nami dashed into the shop.

"I'll be a while." Nami called over her shoulder.

"No, really?" Zoro muttered. Anzu laughed, then looked around.

"Eh? Where did Luffy-kun and Usopp-san go?"

Zoro looked around as well.

"Heh. They must've run off."

"I hope they don't get lost…" Anzu murmured.

"They're fine." Zoro said reassuringly. "Now, where's this bar you were talking about earlier?"

Anzu led Zoro through the streets, until they came upon a brightly lit building. Men laughing and hooting could be heard inside. Anzu turned to Zoro.

"Heh… Here we are…"

Zoro laughed.

"You aren't nervous, are you?" Zoro teased.

"'Course not! I was waiting for you to go first!" Anzu huffed.

"Ladies first." Zoro said, bowing and gesturing towards the door mockingly.

Anzu blushed, and pushed open the door, entering the loud tavern.

"Hey pretty lady! Need a friend?" One big guy hollered at her.

"Oi, oneesan! Come and have a drink with me!" Another hooted.

Zoro calmly stepped in behind her, and shot the two an ugly look.

"Sorry, bro. Didn't mean to hit on your lady." The big guy jeered. Anzu turned bright red.

"B-but… But I'm- I'm not…"

"Come on, Anzu." Zoro said indifferently, tugging her along by her wrist. Anzu noticed that his face was slightly pink too.

They made their way through the scattering of tables throughout the large room, until they got to the bar. Zoro and Anzu both sat down in a barstool. The bartender looked over at them.

"Eh? You're Daidaiirokawa's daughter, aintcha?" He said, inspecting Anzu. "But I ain't never seen you before…" He said, looking over at Zoro suspiciously.

"My friends and I are just passing through. We're staying with the Daidairokawas." Zoro said.

"Oh, I see. Whaddya wanna drink?"

"I'll just have saké." Zoro said.

"'Kay. And you, miss?" The Bartender asked Anzu.

"Um… I'll just have a coffee." Anzu said finally.

"All right. Grog and some Joe!" The Bartender called to a lanky teenager.

"Yes sir!"

Zoro turned to Anzu.

"You come with me here to a bar, and you're not going to drink?" Zoro asked incredulously.

"Well, I… just don't wanna." Anzu said finally.

"You're old enough to drink, right?" Zoro prodded her.

"Well, yeah. But I'm not gonna try alcohol until I'm ready." Anzu shrugged.

"Ehhhh. Not like it matters to me." Zoro shook his head, and took the bottle set in front of him, ignoring the glass.

"So…" Anzu began, taking a sip of her coffee, grimacing at the taste. She fiddled with a sugar packet, before finally dumping it into the brew.

"So what?" Zoro asked, watching her pour milk into her coffee.

"I've always wanted to ask you, when did you start developing Santouryuu?" Anzu asked. Zoro's form stiffened.

"Several years ago, when I was a kid. I originally used two swords." Zoro said pensively. Anzu pouted.

"Thank you, Captain Vague. Why did you start using three?" Anzu asked. Zoro set down his bottle, and glanced into her bright eyes. He sighed, and went back to his drink. Anzu frowned at being disregarded.

Finally Zoro spoke.

"Why did you start training with the sword?" Zoro asked. Anzu looked confused.

"Eh? Well… I suppose that's because my brother and father practice swordplay, and they're so strong… I wanted to be strong too… Because not only am I a girl, and Takamaru thinks I'm weak~"

"You're not weak for being a girl!" Zoro interjected. Anzu blinked. She squinted at him dubiously.

"Says the guy that just kicked my ass awhile ago." Anzu scoffed.

"You were really close to winning." Zoro admitted. "If you didn't wince and freeze up at the end, you might've won."

"Oh… I… see…" Anzu murmured. She shook her head quickly.

"Ne, back to what I was saying! I wanted to become a swords master because Taka-nii and Papa are skilled swordsmen, and I want to be strong too!" Anzu said self-assuredly. Zoro laughed.

"Is this to be considered equal, or to prove your worth?" Zoro asked. Anzu gasped. Zoro blinked.

"I-…. I never thought of it that way before…" Anzu sniffled. Zoro sweatdropped.

'Shit… I never meant to make her cry! What do I do? Shit…' Suddenly, Anzu wiped her eyes, and whipped out a small handkerchief. Blowing her nose, she smiled weakly.

"Thank you, Zoro-san!" She said, small smile growing into a grin.

'Damn, she gets over things quick! Women are so fickle…'

"I suppose… That I want to prove to my father that I'm not just some delicate little flower! I mean, I may be ill, but I can still get along just fine." Anzu said fiercely. Zoro blinked.

"You know, Usopp _did _say your brother said that you're not supposed to strain your body, but… Why?" Zoro asked.

Anzu stuck out her tongue.

"I have a neuromuscular illness. My muscles don't always work perfectly, and I am supposed to refrain from strenuous physical activity. Today was one of my better days, though tomorrow my muscles will prob'ly be really stiff." Anzu said casually. Zoro's eyes widened.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me earlier?!" Zoro snarled, aggravated. Anzu blushed.

"Because I knew you'd go easy on me! Or even refuse to fight me." Anzu mumbled.

"What if you were hurt?!" Zoro grit his teeth angrily. Anzu clenched her fists.

"I'm not that weak!" Anzu growled. The bartender, noticing the tension, cut in.

"'Scuse me, would youse two like another drink?" He asked nervously. Anzu looked up at him lazily.

"Actually, could I perhaps have a cola?" She asked politely.

"I'll have another saké, thanks." Zoro added. The man nodded, and turned to his teenage assistant. The boy bobbed his head, and quickly prepared the drinks.

Anzu sighed heavily.

"Honestly, you're just like my father." Anzu muttered angrily.

"I don't care if I'm like your grandmother! I just don't want to be held responsible for any pain you go through tomorrow." Zoro growled.

"Not gonna blame you at all." Anzu shrugged indifferently.

"Let's talk about something else." Zoro muttered.

"Sure, Zoro-san. What about?"

Luffy and Usopp were bored. They had wandered around for a while, but that soon got boring.

They decided they would look for some citizens to ask about good spots to hang out. But some people weren't very helpful… Or kind.

One thing led to another, and it ended up getting them into a scuffle with some neighborhood teens, until the teens parents had to break it up. Nami had come running to see what happened, and apologized to the parents.

Now, they were "helping" her shop. Really, all they were doing was sitting on the benches as she tried on outfits, and said "Nice" or "Cool" every time she asked how she looked.

"Usopp, this is boring!" Luffy moaned.

"Dummy, I know that! I bet Zoro and Anzu are having a good time." Usopp said and laughed.

"Hm? Yeah, they're prob'ly having lots of fun talking." Luffy said.

"Haha! Talking. You think that's all they're doing?" Usopp hooted.

"Well what else would they be doing?" Luffy asked.

"You really are dense. When a guy and a girl go out for drinks, we call that a _date._" Usopp said. Now it was Luffy's turn to laugh.

"A _**date**_? I don't think Zoro thinks it's a date." Luffy said.

"Hah, who cares? It's something to make fun of later." Usopp grinned.

"Yeah, totally! That'd really piss him off!" Luffy snickered.

Nami came out of the change room, wearing something short, backless, black, and frilled.

"How does this look?" Nami asked.

"Nice." They replied dully.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*


End file.
